September 06 2010 - Learn the art of custom screen printing of signs, vinyl signs, outdoor signs, a sign banner, find a sign supply distributor for supplies, signage, custom shops in the sign business, and ink for screen printing a sign. If you'd like to suggest an article for this category, please e-mail us here and let us know.
Stencil Washout Techniques, Part 2
Washout will impact your print results. Follow along in this conclusion to learn the rest of this important sub-process of washout techniques to will help you create the best print results. One more variable to be controlled and repeated to attain consistent tonal-range reproduction and print quality.
Stencil Washout Techniques, Part I
Stencil development or washout seems simple and easy, and not a variable worthy of concern or extra time. But washout often becomes an important sub-process that will impact print results. Just like any other variable, it must be controlled and repeated to attain consistent tonal-range reproduction and print quality.
Computer-to-Screen & Film Technologies for Screen Printing
Here we are presenting the major technologies currently used, how they operate and additional specifications to help you make the right decison for your shop.
Charlie Taublieb Tells You How to Prepare a Screen the Right Way for Screen Printing
Many shops make the same mistakes, and the most obvious one was the way they dried their screens, so following is a step by step of what I would do in making a screen from the beginning.
Precision Process Tools for Screen Printers - Part Four: Tools You Can't Afford Not to Buy in the Modern Screen Printing Environment
Now the finale, Press Setup, Test Print Inspection and Print-Run Monitoring Stage. If your shop uses all the right tools, your investment in those tools could save you ten times their cost.
Precision Process Tools for Screen Printers - Part Three: Why You Can't Afford Not to Buy Them in the Modern Print Environment
By making fewer press errors, printing fewer defects and not having to reprint, you save time. Saving time puts money in your pocket.
Precision Process Tools for Screen Printers - Part Two
In Part II of this article, we explore the design and artwork stage, the film production stage, and the inspection stage for Screen Printers.
Precision Process Tools for Screen Printers - Part One
Why You Can't Afford Not to Buy Them in the Modern Print Environment
Stretching Your Own Screens, Part III: Of Mesh and Meters
The right mesh at the proper tension goes a long way toward insuring successful print jobs. Here's what you need to know when stretching your screens.
Stretching Your Own Screens, Part II: Making Sense of Frames
Stretching your own screens means working with an outside source, the frame suppliers. Keep the following essentials in mind when placing your orders to ensure you get what you need.
Computer to Screen (CTS) Today
Are you waiting for film to disappear before you change? Inkjet CTS systems have a very low-cost consumable, and it isn’t going away for a long time.
Stretching Your Own Screens: Does It Make Sense for Your Business?
Stretching screens in-house can help boost production, reduce downtime and give your shop the flexibility to take on a wider range of jobs. But it also requires a considerable investment, and can divert precious resources from your core operation. Is it right for your shop? Take a look and see.
Want To Try Screenprinting? Knife-Cut Films Can Shave Your Start-Up Costs
You don't have to spend a fortune to get into screenprinting, it is possible to enter the business on the cheap. Read on to learn how you can cut a piece of the screenprinting pie.
It Costs How Much? Determining What It Costs to Sell Your Signs the Right Way.
Pricing your products or services sold is determined first by costing. Do you have any idea of what it costs to sell a sign or banner? For that matter, what does it cost to open the doors to your sign business each day? Pertinent questions that will influence your pricing.
Smaller World — The Implications of GHS and REACH
Both were developed in the international arena and both have already influenced chemical policy well beyond their original borders.
Choosing a Color Separation Program
One of the most important decisions you’ll make in your screen printing business, at least from a design perspective, is which separation program to purchase.
Today and Tomorrow: Considering Digital Imaging an SGIA Interview
In recognition of the SGIA Journal's 10th anniversary in 2007, we take a look forward and backward, evaluating how our industry has changed and how we expect it will change by the time the Journal celebrates its twentieth anniversary.
It’s All About the Digital File at SGIA ’07- From Wrapping Gators to Mermaids
Whether you’re cutting rubylith, fluted-plastic or vinyl; printing on rigid sheet, t-shirts, tile or fabric; or getting a message across through embroidery, it all comes down to the digital file.
Want to Become a Lenticular Printer? Just do it!
For both sign makers and wide format printers, lenticular can be a valuable differentiator, an additional value-added service and best of all, a profit generator.
Screen Preparation: A Cornerstone for Successful Screen Printing
Understanding the wide range of mesh preparation products, and when to use them, can be a challenge. This guide will clearly explain the product similarities and differences, as well as how to properly use mesh preparation as a part of your process improvement program.
Screen or Digital Which Method to Choose...An Imaging Technology Decision
The choices of using digital printing vs. screen printing, learn how to find the sweet-spot for your company to determine the most profitable choice on a job.
Heat Transfer Machines Are One Hot Topic
Exploring the choices in heat presses offers many choices. This will show the different types to find the right choice for your budget and application.
Halftone Stencils: Getting Film Quality with Direct Emulsions
Film stencils are widely praised for their ability to accurately reproduce fine detail such as the thousands upon thousands of tiny dots that make up a halftone. The key to success lies on the print side of the screen, where the smooth surface of a film stencil provides a tight seal with the surface of the substrate. This seal sharply restricts ink flow, which results in sharply defined prints.
SGIA '06: Show Recap 'Exhibiting the Future Now'
When SignIndustry.com visits friends at the SGIA Expo, we are never surprised at the level of professionalism, expertise, and creativity that is displayed down the isles, in the booths, and at the seminars. SGIA '06 was no exception producing a special excitement in the air with abundant energy and a sense of exhilaration.
Printing Halftones (Part III): Making Halftone Stencils with Photoreactive Film
Despite the many advantages of using films for halftone work, liquid direct emulsions continue to be very popular and also have a few advantages of their own. Discover the many advantages and disadvantages of halftone stencils.
Incoming SGIA Chairman David Van Veldhuizen Speaks on Changes and Challenges
The industry is changing, lines between niche markets are becoming transparent, technology is pushing delivery systems to a new level and anybody in the world is only 1.7 seconds away.
Printing Halftones (Part Two): Two Critical Factors in Halftone Stencils
We've come to the point in the process where we need to start thinking about creating a halftone stencil. The qualities that make good halftone stencils are substantially the same as those of any other stencil used in finely detailed printing, though as always, we have to be prepared to meet higher standards of accuracy.
Trying to Make Sense of the Graphics Market Mess
Understanding your business and how it fits into the evolving U.S. graphics industry may well be vital in your survivial in the changing marketplace involving screen printing, wide-format imaging and your sign shop. Part 1 of a 3 part series.
Apparel Decorating Trends & Techniques for Digital and Sublimation Transfers
Recent trends of a flat decorated garment market have created a small group of nimble companies that have strategically positioned themselves to introduce the world to the short and micro runs of customized apparel.
Printing Halftones Part One: Frames, Mesh and Moiré
Having the right frame, the right mesh and the right timing can make all the difference in the world in presenting a quality final product to your customer.
Making Halftone Positives for Screening
In this third part of the Halftones series we take a look at the factors tht influence how we create halftone artwork for screenprinting. A dot is not just a dot you know.
Halftones Continued: Pushing the Limits
The history of screenprinting can be quickly summed up as a series of inventive solutions to printing problems.
What You Need to Know About Pollution Prevention in Your Shop
Protecting yourself, your employees and your community are just a few reasons why you want to be sure that your shop is compliant with all of the current safety regulations. One of the most important areas of safety that is often overlooked is the ventilation of your print shop.
Facing Up To The Challenge of Printing Halftones: the next step in your evolution as a screenprinter.
When newcomers to screenprinting first set eyes on a screenprinted photograph, the damage is done. That's the kind of screenprinting they want to do. The wise ones put off tackling the job, at least until they've got a bit of experience under their belt. But sometimes the jobs don't wait on you.
Putting Your Reclaiming Tools to Work: Reclaiming Screens to Maximize Your Profits (Part 2)
Reclaiming your screens should take less time thus increasing productivity and your screens should last longer, decreasing expenses. These two factors can make a big impact on your bottom line.
The Digital Opportunity in Wide Format Printing
Screen printers are rightly proud that they are part of an ancient tradition that is as much an art form as carrying out an industrial process. While digital inkjet printing has none of those familiar associations, it does offer technical and economic solutions to the very real challenges faced by today's screen printers.
Reclaim Your Screens to Maximize Your Profits
Part 1: Supplies and Equipment
If screens could be used only once, screenprinting wouldn't be a competitive technology and few screenprinters could afford to stay in business.
SGIA ’04 Recap: The Microcosm Meets the Macrocosm
The digital revolution. UV. The marriage of digital and screen. Multiple technologies. The buzz of energized attendees joined the hum of equipment at SGIA ’04 (Minneapolis, October 69), where more than 11,000 people represented 73 countries and every US state.
Screen Printing Squeegees: How To Pull Prints
Screenprinting is one of the most universal segments of the sign industry and one of the most profitable, but only if you know how to use and care for the tools of the trade.
Squeegees: How to Use Them - Part 1: Setting Up
Thanks to the previous article on squeegees: 'Squeegees: How to Choose Them', you, no doubt, own the perfect squeegee for the type of job you want to print. Now we're going to show you how to put that squeegee to work.
The New Printing and Decorating Growth Using Sublimation
Hi I’m John Benedetto and it has been over four years since I have written an article for SignIndusrty.com. My articles on screenprinting are still available on this site and are still read to this day. I have been building screenprinting machines and training for the last 10 years.
Sign Pricing Series- Commercial Screen Print Pricing
Like their digital brethren, commercial screen printers typically use two fundamental approaches to pricing depending on their size. The two methods are pricing tables and time-and-materials.
Squeegees: How to Choose Them
Squeegees are used in every form of screenprinting from the solitary printer pulling prints by hand to the most sophisticated automatic cylinder presses. In fact, if a squeegee isn't involved, it just isn't screenprinting.
Electronic Aids to Screen Exposure
Electronic exposure tools: digital radiometers --- devices that measure light intensity, and integrators --- exposure controls that eliminate the endless fussing with exposure times.
Getting it Right Every Time: Using an Exposure Calculator to Control Screen Exposures
Probably the most frequently asked question about direct emulsions is: “How long should I make my exposures?” The truth is that there is no simple answer to this apparently simple question.
Exposing Direct Emulsions --- Three Key Exposure Variables: Lamps, Time and Distance
Learn about the different types of lamps, how to use them and how you can profit from using the right ones.
Exposing Direct Emulsions: Finding Your Exposure Unit
When you get into exposing your own screens one of your most critical jobs will be finding a good exposure unit. The first thing you’ll discover is that an exposure unit will probably be one of the most expensive pieces of equipment in your shop. But this is one piece of equipment you don’t want to skimp on because it can have a major impact on your bottom line.
Exposing Direct Emulsions: Accentuate The Positive
Let’s take a look at the stages in the exposure process. We begin by coating a screen with a photosensitive emulsion. Once that emulsion is completely dry, we can think about exposing it.
UV or Not UV in ScreenPrinting Inks
In recent years probably no area of screenprinting has developed faster than UV printing. As a commercially viable technology its history is barely three decades old, but today it competes readily with the solvent-based screenprinting inks
Getting Into Screen Ink
It's not an exaggeration to say that ink is the lifeblood of the screenprinting industry. So, once you've mastered fundamentals like getting ink to stick to your substrate, it's really worth your while to get to know a little more about ink itself.
Getting into Ink
It’s not an exaggeration to say that ink is the lifeblood of the screenprinting industry. So, once you’ve mastered fundamentals like getting ink to stick to your substrate, it’s really worth your while to get to know a little more about ink itself.
Choosing the Right Ink: How to Make Sure Your Printing Stays Printed
You may be sending work out the door that will come back to haunt you.
Drying Direct Emulsions
Since liquid emulsions have to be dry before they can be exposed, a certain amount of drying time has to be allowed. How much time? Quite often, not enough.
The Scoop on Emulsions
We're continuing our series on direct emulsions with a closer look at the emulsions themselves.
Lenticular Imaging: Differentiating Printing To Another Dimension
It was a not-so-standard sign poster of a new car parked in a lot. As people walked by the advertisement, the car in the sign had its front doors fly open and the trunk popped up and actually displayed an animation of the car's ease of use.
Expose Yourself Continued: Coating to Suit
When we talk about direct emulsion stencils, the inevitable question arises: How thick a coating of emulsion do you need to get good results? The complete answer to that question depends on a number of factors.
Expose Yourself! Getting Set Up for Direct Emulsions Part II of a Series on Mesh in Screenprinting
If you're considering exposing your own screens, you've probably already thought about direct emulsions. It's only natural, because direct emulsions are undoubtedly the most popular method of creating screenprinting stencils in use today.
Mesh Part II: The Tension Rises
If you look back over the history of screen printing, you can see a definite parallel between growing awareness of the importance of mesh tension and the use of higher tensioned screens.
When Things Really Start to Mesh - Part I of two on understanding Mesh in Screenprinting
It is tempting to say that mesh is the most important part of the screenprinting process, but that isn't strictly true.
Your Film Career
Films can offer something for almost every screenprinter, even a newcomer who can’t quite scrape up the investment for an exposure unit.
Should You Become a Screenprinter?
Look at all the variables to see if delving into screen printing is a smart move for your business.
Screenprinting 101, Part IV
This is part four of a series of helpful and timely tips for both the beginner and seasoned screenprinter
Screenprinting 101, Part III
This is part three of a series of helpful and timely tips for both the beginner and seasoned screenprinter
Screenprinting 101 Part II
Make a screen, print a screen and dry the item.
Screenprinting 101, Part I
Basics for beginners or those considering entering into screen printing
Training:
The Neglected Business Tool
Shop Reputation is Gold
So you don't work in a dog-eat-dog rat race of an industry...
